Autumn-like rain to end dry August

Increasing clouds and a chance of rain is being forecast for today as an autumn-like storm moves over the Pacific Northwest from the cooler water of the North Pacific Ocean. National Weather Service forecasters said that most of the Inland Northwest may see a period of light rain lasting from five to 10 hours. Spokane so far this month has had only 0.05 inches of rain at Spokane International Airport, which is 0.6 inches below normal. Rain is most likely to arrive later today, but forecasters said there is a 40 percent chance it could begin earlier, possibly after 11 a.m. in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas. The leading edge of the rainstorm has moved well onshore in western Washington and had reached the Wenatchee area by 8:15 a.m. according to radar images. Rain chances go to 90 percent tonight. Highs today may only reach 65. Weather conditions begin to rebound on Wednesday as the skies dry and gradually become sunny later Wednesday with highs near 70. Warmer weather arrives on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as highs go to the upper 70s and lower 80s, but another low pressure system is expected to return to the region and cause temperatures to drop to the lower 70s on Sunday and Monday. Precipitation is not expected through the holiday weekend over the Spokane area, but there is a chance that a cold front may bring breezes on Saturday. At 7 a.m., it was 47 at Spokane International Airport, 52 at Felts Field and Coeur d’Alene, 45 in Deer Park and 43 in Pullman.